The distance from Shang Shan City to Nanzheng City is about two hundred kilometers, and even by train, it takes almost three hours to get there.
At this moment, it was during the peak period when migrant workers were returning to the city. In a car compartment that was designed to hold 108 passengers, the railway department had crammed in nearly 300 people. Add to that the large bags and small parcels of luggage, and all the passengers were packed together like sardines in a tin can. Even having both feet firmly on the ground seemed like a luxury.
What was even more terrifying than the crowding was the smell inside the carriage.
It was the dead of winter, and to maintain the temperature inside the car, windows were prohibited from being opened. The faintly sour odor of sweat emitted by hundreds of people crammed together could even be detected at the connection between carriages. Moreover, since the majority of the passengers were migrant workers who had grown used to a relaxed lifestyle at home, many of them had no sense of public decency. There were people farting, burping, spitting, airing out their feet, and adding cheap, pungent cigarette smoke into the mix. The resulting stench was so overwhelming that it felt more potent than tear gas used in counterterrorism.
In this assault of raw, unfiltered smells, Xu Mo endured for three hours, his eyes watering and barely keeping his sanity. The "McDonald's" takeout brought by Chang Zitong had been completely untouched… there was no point in eating, as it would just come right back up. It would have been a waste.
At noon, the "sardine can" of a train was finally fifteen minutes late as it pulled into Nanzheng Station.
As the doors opened, Xu Mo was nearly lifted off his feet and squeezed out of the train by a dozen strong rural men, then "hijacked" for another ten meters before his feet were finally planted firmly on the Nanzheng Station platform.
"Damn, the country has been pouring billions into the railways, and this is what we get? This isn't a train, it's practically a gas chamber from the Nazi concentration camps…" Xu Mo clung to a pillar on the platform, greedily inhaling fresh air as his stomach lurched again.
Even for someone with his enhanced physique, he nearly couldn't bear it. He couldn't imagine how the migrant workers managed to endure this year after year. Truly, Chinese farmers were some of the hardest-working and most resilient people in the world.
"Here, drink some water," Chang Zitong handed him a bottle of Coke and gently patted Xu Mo's back.
"Hang in there! After today, I'll buy a car with Sister Chang, and next time we come, we'll have our own ride…" Du Zhizhang also came over to offer some comfort.
Chang Zitong shot Du Zhizhang a look and said, "Save it! Never mind the fact that you don't even have a driver's license—if you do buy a car, do you think we'll still be involved with the alliance after today? What would we even be doing here?"
"Heh, I was just joking." Du Zhizhang scratched his head awkwardly and gave Xu Mo a pat on the shoulder. "Come on, let's grab some lunch and then find a hotel to crash. We'll be staying up late tonight..."
After drinking a few sips of Coke and letting out a burp with a strange taste, Xu Mo finally felt a bit better, and as he walked towards the exit with Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong, he casually asked, "Why stay up late? Don't all the transactions of the World Fruit Trade Alliance happen at night?"
"You'll understand when you get there," Du Zhizhang said with a mysterious smile.
Though Xu Mo was a native of South River Province, he had only visited Nanzheng City once in elementary school. It had been a long time, and with the ongoing infrastructure expansion in recent years, Nanzheng had long since transformed from a small county town into a modern city. If it hadn't been for Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong, Xu Mo would have likely gotten lost trying to find the train station exit.
As the capital of South River Province, Nanzheng was one of the most prosperous cities in the province. Especially around the train station, which was the heart of the city, high-rise buildings lined the area. Within a one-square-kilometer radius, there were nearly 30% of the city's major leisure and commercial entertainment venues, making it the largest commercial district in Nanzheng.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that as long as you had enough money, there was nothing you couldn't get in this city.
Perhaps because they were about to join the ranks of millionaires, Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong seemed particularly generous. Not only did they take Xu Mo to "Penglai Pavilion," a renowned seafood restaurant in Nanzheng, for a thousand-yuan seafood feast, but they also booked a room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, a landmark hotel in Nanzheng.
After taking the room key and getting on the scenic elevator, Chang Zitong suddenly surprised Du Zhizhang by hugging him and giving him a passionate kiss, excitedly saying, "So this is what it's like to have money! Zhizhang, that credit card swipe was so cool!"
"Cool, my foot! I just got a message from the bank—I've maxed out my credit card..." Du Zhizhang shook his head, bitterly laughing. "I've gotten so used to being poor that spending a few thousand like that made my heart race. I'm already thinking about how to survive next month…"
"Don't worry, I'll help you get used to it," Chang Zitong chuckled, draping her arm over Du Zhizhang's shoulder like a buddy.
Chang Zitong's hidden meaning instantly made Du Zhizhang feel like crying. With a grimace, he said, "My dear little aunt, with the house, the car, the wedding, and the honeymoon, how much of that doesn't cost money? We're not exactly rich people. Please, take it easy on the spending!"
"Tch! Such a stingy man!" Chang Zitong gave Du Zhizhang a playful knock on the head, then grabbed a room key from him and handed it to Xu Mo. "Xu Mo, little bro, try to take a nap if you can this afternoon. If you don't feel like it, you can wander around nearby. Let's meet in the hotel lobby at 7 PM."
"Okay, I'll see you at 7 PM in the lobby," Xu Mo confirmed, then left the elevator first with the room key in hand.
Although the Crowne Plaza Hotel was a five-star international hotel, as far as napping went, Xu Mo didn't think it was much different from those smaller inns—except the rooms were bigger, the ambiance was nicer, and the bed was more comfortable, not to mention no one was calling to suggest massages. He still didn't see much difference; after all, it was all the same when you just sleep through everything.
Xu Mo didn't have the habit of taking afternoon naps, but after lying on the bed and counting sheep, he reluctantly managed to sleep for two hours. He was suddenly woken up by a strange "slapping" sound from the next room. He initially thought the hotel was conducting some sort of room maintenance, but soon he heard intermittent, seductive moans accompanied by a man's heavy breathing. Xu Mo immediately sat up in shock.
After straining to listen for a moment, Xu Mo's face showed a bit of awkwardness. How could they not care at all and be so loud in the middle of the day? Didn't Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong think about him, a pure-hearted young man with no girlfriend?
Xu Mo thought about knocking on their door to remind them to consider his feelings, but worried that Du Zhizhang might have some health issues from getting too immersed, so he dismissed the idea and stubbornly turned on the TV, waiting for the scene next door to end.
Perhaps it was because Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong had such enhanced physiques, but Xu Mo endured an entire hour of "live broadcasting" without any signs of it stopping. The noises grew even more intense, and he could even hear the bed creaking under the weight—seeming like it could collapse at any moment.
It was only then that Xu Mo sadly realized that his heightened senses weren't always an advantage in some situations.
"Two beasts!"
Finally, after naming their "activities" in his mind, Xu Mo hastily covered his aching stomach and fled the room.
After leaving the hotel via the elevator, the peace and quiet were a relief. Xu Mo finally managed to calm down and returned to walking normally instead of waddling.
It seemed like he wouldn't be able to return to the hotel for a while, so Xu Mo wandered aimlessly along the sidewalk, occasionally stopping to check out things in nearby shops to kill the long and boring time.